


Strawberries Taste Like Lips Do

by sunshinexbomb



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-01
Updated: 2012-12-01
Packaged: 2017-11-20 01:04:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/579598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinexbomb/pseuds/sunshinexbomb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis’s favorite thing to do is to press his nose to the crook of Liam’s shoulder, right where it connects to the long line of his neck, and breathe in the scent of his soft skin. It’s a mixture of sandalwood and fabric softener and something vaguely sweet and fruity that Louis had trouble placing for the longest time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strawberries Taste Like Lips Do

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm starting a [31 Day Fluff Challenge](http://ziamsfirstchristmas.tumblr.com/post/36355893930/31-day-fluff-challenge) for December and this is the first installment. The prompt for today was "Strawberries" and the pairing I picked out was Liam/Louis. 
> 
> Story is completely fictitious and I unfortunately do not own any of the characters. Title is from Ed Sheeran's "Little Bird".

Louis’s favorite thing to do is to press his nose to the crook of Liam’s shoulder, right where it connects to the long line of his neck, and breathe in the scent of his soft skin. The scent is always warm and comforting and familiar. It’s a mixture of sandalwood and light, airy fabric softener and something vaguely sweet and fruity that Louis had trouble placing for the longest time. 

(Sometimes, late at night when they’re tangled together in the sheets of Liam’s bed, the smells combine with the scent of sweat and the natural musk of Liam’s skin and the mixture is so delicious that it nearly makes Louis’s mouth water and all he really wants to do is breathe Liam in and taste him and touch him all at once.)

The identity of the elusive fruity scent doesn’t come to Louis until they’ve been dating about a month. It’s the first time they spend the night together and it’s the first time they wake up together, legs tangled, arms wrapped around each other and bare skin sticking together in a way that should be uncomfortable but isn’t. 

It’s the middle of winter and the heat in Liam’s flat isn’t working and all Louis really wants is to snuggle deeper under the duvet and farther into Liam’s arms where he’s warm and comfortable. Liam, however, refuses to stay in bed. He kisses softly up Louis’s neck and along his jaw, muttering about how the heat may be out but the hot water’s still working and doesn’t a shower sound lovely?

Louis admits that a shower does sound good, but the prospect of staying in bed with Liam is so much more appealing until Liam nips playfully at Louis’s ear and then gets up without a word and makes his way towards the bathroom.

A groan escapes Louis’s lips and he shivers a bit from the sudden lack of warmth but he still remains lying in the same position until he hears the sounds of the shower running. It’s only then that he gets up, movements painstakingly slow, and patters over to the bathroom, arms wrapped around his bare chest and bare feet freezing against the cold floor of Liam’s flat. 

The bathroom’s already filling up with steam, glass of the mirror fogged up, when Louis steps in and wiggles out of his pants. He pushes past the curtain and joins Liam under the warm spray. Liam’s just standing there, face tilted towards the warm water and Louis comes up behind him, arms wrapping around his waist. He places a soft kiss to Liam’s wet shoulder and smiles against his skin. 

“I can’t believe you made me get out of bed,” Louis complains.

“I didn’t _make_ you do anything,” Liam chuckles, and Louis can feel his own body shake with Liam’s laughter.

“Yes you did. You bribed me with hot running water and the prospect of seeing your wet naked body.”

“Pretty sure I said nothing about my wet naked body,” Liam says, turning around in Louis’s arms. He places a kiss on the tip of Louis’s nose and the corner of his mouth and finally envelopes his lips with his own. 

“Pretty sure it was implied when you said ‘shower’,” Louis mutters, smiling against Liam’s lips.

“Of course.”

Silence falls as the two start scrubbing their skin with soapy washcloths, taking advantage of the water while it’s still warm against them. They take turns washing each other’s backs, and Louis can’t help watching the way the suds slide off Liam’s strong muscles with the falling water. 

“Wash my hair?” Liam asks when the last of the soap is washed off their skin.

Louis nods and looks around him until he finds a bright pink bottle of shampoo on the shower rack. He can’t help but laugh as he picks it up.

“This is the shampoo you use?” he asks, uncapping it. A familiar scent fills the small shower. It’s the fruity scent that’s always clinging to Liam’s skin.

Louis looks at the bottle curiously. Strawberries.

“It smells good,” Liam says, embarrassed. A flush is creeping up his neck and face that has nothing to do with the warmth of the water.

Louis laughs again but can’t help but agree as he squirts a generous amount into his hands and starts lathering the curls sticking wet to Liam’s head. Liam moans contently as Louis’s fingers work at his scalp and the strawberry scent fills the air. The smell is sweet and comforting and Louis knows that it will always remind him of Liam no matter wherever he is.

\--

Liam gets a call from his mum one day, asking if he can visit for a week during the summer. She’s fallen ill, it’s nothing serious, but Ruth and Nicola are both busy and Liam’s dad is utterly hopeless on his own and she’d like if there was an extra hand around the house.

Louis wishes he could go with Liam, but he’s just started a new job and can’t take any time off. Liam packs his bags and tells him it’s fine and that he’ll be back soon. Louis pouts and kisses him goodbye softly and watches him drive off.

The flat is oddly empty without Liam there with him. Louis goes to work and invites over Harry and Zayn and Niall to keep him company, but at the end of the day, it’s still just him in his and Liam’s big bed. The sheets feel colder even though it’s the middle of the summer Louis misses the warmth of Liam’s chest pressed against his back and the constant scent of sandalwood and fabric softener and strawberry shampoo that he’s gotten accustomed to.

One night after work, when Louis is showering, he picks up Liam’s bright pink bottle of shampoo and opens it. The scent of strawberries surrounds him and if he closes his eyes it’s sort of like Liam is right there with him. He uses the shampoo that night and the scent clings to his hair and his skin even after he steps out of the shower.

He dresses in one of Liam’s t-shirts and a pair of his sweatpants which are a little loose on Louis’s hips and when he’s lying in bed calling Liam before bed, he can smell Liam all around him and he can almost feel the warmth of skin against skin.

Louis continues washing his hair with Liam’s shampoo, and the scent makes him feel warm and safe and comfortable. 

Liam’s only gone a week but it feels like the longest week of Louis’s life. When he finally walks into the flat after what feels like forever, Louis jumps him before he can even sit down, wrapping his legs around Liam’s waist and his arms around his neck. Liam stumbles backwards a bit but his hands come under Louis’s thighs to support him and he returns Louis’s kisses with fervor. Liam leads the both of them to the couch and sits down, Louis still wrapped around him. 

“I’ve missed you,” Louis mutters, burying his face in his favorite place in the crook of Liam’s shoulder. He smells different, having been using whatever shower things were available at his mum’s place, but there’s a scent there that’s still undeniably Liam that Louis’s been craving. 

“I’ve missed you too,” Liam sighs, running his hands through Louis’s hair. “Have you been using my shampoo?”

Louis freezes for a minute and he doesn’t want to say yes in fear of seeming like some pathetic fool who can’t even be separated from his boyfriend from a week so he says, “I ran out of my own?”

“Of course,” Liam laughs and Louis relaxes. “I’m gonna go take a shower, babe. Do you want to join me?”

Louis nibbles his lips and replies, “Ugh, I just took one not that long ago. I’m just gonna tuck in then.”

Liam smiles and kisses him one last time before they both get up and make their way to the other side of the flat. Louis gets into bed and listens to the distant sounds of the shower running. He’s almost asleep when Liam slips under the covers with him, warm and a bit damp and smelling deliciously like Liam. Louis turns and snuggles deep into Liam’s chest, breathing in the familiar scent of his skin. 

Liam’s arms tighten around Louis as they drift off into a comfortable sleep. If he noticed the full bottle of Louis’s shampoo in the shower rack, he says nothing about it.


End file.
